Lighting fixture for elongated tubular fluorescent lamps



I March 13, 1951 5 c, PRETZER 2,545,307

. LIGHTING FIXTURE FOR ELONGATED TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Oct. 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 8697' C. PRC' IZA'R March 13, 1951 B. c. PRETZER 2,545,307

LIGHTING FIXTURE FOR ELONGATED TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Oct. 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BERT c. PR7'2R ATTORNEY,

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 LIGHTING FIXTURE FOR ELONGATED TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Bert C. Pretzel, St. ClairShores, Mich., assignor to Illuminating Engineering Company, Hazel Park, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October 17, 1946, Serial No. 703,734

This invention relates to lighting fixtures, and more particularly to a lighting fixture which is removeably suspended from a ceiling, and upon which is mounted a luminescent tube, or a plurality of such tubes.

It is the object of this invention to provide a means of adjustably suspending the lighting fixture, wherein the fixture is slidably adjustable transversely of its support.

It is the further object of this invention to provide means whereby the spaced tube supporting end members are adjustably mounted upon the central supporting trough of thelighting fixture.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a novel lighting fixture construction permitting a degree of standardization, wherein the tube supporting end members may be spaced at any desired distance with the trough being cut to the desired length.

These and other objects willbe seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the lighting fixture.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational Section thereof on lines 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the fixture illustrating one of its supports; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational section thereof on lines 5-5 of Fig. 4. v I

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of the lighting fixture with tubes removed and with an end member broken away to illustrate the association therewith of the tube supporting sockets.

Fig. 7 is a partly broken away and sectioned elevational view of the yielding lamp socket shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the non-yielding lamp socket normally enclosed within the opposite end of the fixture shown in Fig. 6 for cooperation with the socket of Fig. '7.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely one preferable embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set out. I

Referring to the drawing, the lighting fixture consists of the hollow U-shaped trough H with angularly converging bottom walls I2 and vertical walls I3. Y Y

The upper edges of walls I3 are bent Vangularly inwardly and downwardly to form the supporting strips id for said trough Hollow formed tube supporting end members I5 and I 6, have 3 Claims. (Cl. 24051.11)

covers I! which project thereon-and are removably secured in position by bolts I8.

The outer ends of trough II project through correspondingly shaped openings in the inner side walls of members I5 and i6, and extend substantially thereinto as shown in Fig. 2, with'the inwardly projecting portions I9 of cover members I! extending partially along th top edges of said trough. The cover I! of members I5 and I6 thus rests upon the ends of supporting trough I I;

Rectangular locking plates 26 with their oppo site ends 2| bent angularly upwardly, are adjustably supported and carried by the screws 22 which extend through members I! and threadably engage said plates. On assembly,the ends of trough II are projected into members I5 and IT, with their supporting strips I4 cooperatively riding over the upwardly inclined ends of plates 26. L

Said end portions 2I are arranged at the same angle as members It to cooperatively engage the under side thereof as screws 22 are manually tightened to firmly secure members I5 and It "in position on said trough. Similarly members I5 and I6 may be removed by loosening said screws.

End members I 5 and I6 are adapted to contain a plurality of electrical sockets aligned with openings 23 through which the ends of illuminating tubes 24 project, and upon which said tubes are supported.

Member I6 as illustrated in Fig. 6 has supported therein a plurality of lamp sockets 36, shown in detail'in Fig. 7, with yielding spring contacts 31. Sockets 36 are positioned within end member I6. of the lighting fixture and are secured by the screws 38 to a bracket element 39' which depends from and is suitably secure-d to plate, I? on 'end member I6.

The endmember I5 shown in Fig. l contains-a plurality of non-yielding lamp sockets 48', as shown in detail'in Fig-'8', and which are secured by screws II to a bracket similar to bracket 39 with the latter secured to and depending from the top plate I? of end member I5 in exactly the same manner as is illustrated in Fig. 6 with re spect to sockets 36. Said sockets are positioned so as to be in registry with the tube receiving openings 23 in end members I5 and It to thereby re-movably support the lighting tubes 2|.

Trough II assembled with end members I5 and I6 and tubes 24, is Ladjustably' suspended preferably from a ceiling of a room in the manner now set out.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4 and 5 rectangular plates 25 have angularly and upwardly formed end portions 26 which are adapted to be positioned under and in cooperating supporting relation to angular strips M of trough ll. Plates 25 have a rod attaching member 21 secured on its under surface by bolts 28. Member 2'! has a central interiorly threaded opening which registers with a corresponding central opening in plate 25.

Hollow supporting rod 29 projects through the opening in plate 25 and threadably engages member 2? thereby securing members 25 and 21 to its lower end. Said members may be formed as a unitary member if desired, or said plates may be secured together in any other convenient manner.

Nut 30 is threadably mounted on the upper end of shaft 29 and is adapted to rest upon the bottom slotted portion 3| of ceiling support 32. The outer ends 33 of member 30 are bent angularly upwardly to prevent accidental removal of nut 50 and rod 29 from the slot formed therein.

Ceiling fixture 32 is suitably secured to the ceiling in such manner that electrical wiring may pass through opening 34 in the top thereoi and through hollow rod 29 for electrical connection with the aforementioned sockets positioned within end members l and i6.

Normally two of such. supporting rods 29 are employed as illustrated in Fig. 1. The particular advantage of the present construction lies in the fact that trough supporting plates 25 are slidably and adjustably mounted within trough I l and under the over-lying supporting strips l l.

Thus where the ceiling electrical outlets are already located definitely locating the position of ceiling fixture 32' and supporting rods 29, trough l I may be slidably adjusted relative to plates 25-to properly center the same with respect to said rods.

Thus a distinct advantage over conventional fixtures which provide no means of adjustment relative to rods 29 is attained.

As shown in Fig. 5 a second nut 35 may be threaded on the upper end of shaft 29 to operatively engage the under side of ceiling support32 to immovably secure rod 2% in position. As plates 25 are rigid on the ends of rods 29, trough H is mounted on said plates by tipping the same approximately 45 degrees to permit the entry of the plate ends 26 into the trough opening. When the trough is tipped back to the position shown in Fig. 1 angular members 26 project under trough supporting strips l4.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A lighting fixture comprising a U-shaped under said strips for securing said end members upon said trough, and screws carried by said top Walls projecting downwardly therefrom thread ably engaging said plates for drawing the same up tightly into cooperative securin relation with said strips.

2. A lighting fixture comprising a U-shaped trough, oppositely arranged, inwardly projecting, longitudinal strips thereon along the upper edges of said trough, said strips being angular-1y inclined downward, hollow boxlike transversely extending tubular lamp supporting members adjustably and slidably mounted upon opposite ends of said trough and projected laterally therefrom upon opposite sides of said trough, with the top inner walls of said supportin members throughout their widths bearing upon said upper ends, transversely extending locking plates adjustably carried below and in spaced relation to said top Walls and having angularly inclined end portions which slidably and cooperatively extend under said strips, and screws carried by said top walls projecting downwardly therefrom threadably engaging said plates for drawing the same up tightly into cooperative securing relation with said. strips.

3. A lighting fixture com rising a U-shaped trough, oppositely arranged, inwardly projecting, longitudinal strips thereon along the upper edges of said trough, said strips being angularly inclined downward, hollow boxlike transversely extending tubular lamp supporting members adjustably and slidably mounted upon opposite ends of said trough and projected laterally therefrom upon opposite sides of said trough, with the top inner walls of said supporting members throughout their widths bearing upon said upper ends, transversely extending locking plates adjustably carried below andv in spaced relation to said top walls and having angularly inclined endportions which slidably and cooperatively extend under said strips, screws carried by said top walls projecting downwardly therefrom threadably engaging said plates for drawing the same uptightly into cooperative securing relation with said strips, and a pair of spaced transversely extending fixture suspending straps with angularly inclined end portions projected into said trough with said end portions slidably and cooperatively mounted. under said strips.

BERT o. PRETZER.

REFERENCES crrsn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 753,714 Krantz Mar. 1, 1934 1,291,699 Abbott Jan. 21, 1919 1,433,252 Symmes Feb. 12, 1924 2,090,239 Strang Aug. 17, 1937 2,295,788 I-loeveler Sept. 15, 1942 2,299,870 Arras Oct. 27, 1942 2,329,829 Naysmith June 1, 1943 2,327,236 Weber Aug. 17, 1943 2,347,113 King Apr. 18, 1944 2,362,091 Parlato Nov. 7, 1944 2,395,008 Naysmith Feb. 19, 1946 2,446,736 Biller Aug. 10, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number. Country Date 549,749 England Dec. 4:, 1942 

